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Leaves of 2 kinds; outer leaves reduced to chartaceousbrownish sheaths (squamae), 2 or more forming a persistent narrowly tubular base enveloping each leaf base and the peduncle base; inner leaves many, grass-like, up to 60 cm long and 1–4 mm wide, terete and filamentous to somewhat compressed and strap-shaped, strongly finely many-ribbed, erect to arching, sometimes glutinous, glabrous, glaucous.
Perennial glabrous herb, erect to 110 cm tall from a small ± woody rhizome, acaulescent; roots many, often yellow when fresh, somewhat fleshy, usually ± swollen, thickened at the base and tapering to the tip or narrowly fusiform or terete and ± fibrous, often with root hairs producing a felted covering.
Perianth segments 6–10 mm long, spreading, cream-coloured to yellowish, dark-keeled; the 3 outer filaments spreading muricate, the 3 inner curving outwards above the ovary, flattened in lower half and with lateral and dorsal fringes, densely covered with retrorse, obtuse papillae in upper half.
Capsule erect, smooth, without tubercles, sparsely yellow-flecked, up to 4–7 mm long, 4.5–5 mm wide, ovoid to subglobose, ± 3-lobed.
Seeds 2–3 per locule, sharply angled, white-spotted becoming greyish-black when mature.
